Driving home at Christmas could take up to six times longer than usual

News provided by

INRIX

18 Dec, 2012, 10:00 GMT

- Gridlock expected this weekend with the M6 the worst hit

LONDON, Dec. 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, INRIX, a leading international provider of traffic information and driver services, can reveal that driving home for Christmas will take up to six times longer than usual with 18 million drivers on Britain's roads. The mass Christmas exodus will be busiest between 4 and 6pm on Friday 21st December when up to 60% of all drivers will be heading away for the festive season with roads across the South struggling the most.

Top Busiest Roads for Christmas Traffic

The M6 tops this year's list of worst delays with a typical 10 minute journey through Walsall potentially taking almost six times longer than normal; expect one hour delays to travel between Warrington and Stafford. Journeys on the M25 towards Heathrow Airport will take up to four times longer, while the M5 around Bristol will see delays of 40 minutes heading into North Somerset. The full list of data is listed below.

Travel Patterns over the Weekend

INRIX historic data indicates that a further 25 per cent of Christmas travellers will make their journey on Saturday 22nd December. Journeys may be impacted by those heading out for last minute Christmas shopping and INRIX reveals the busiest times will be between 12 Noon and 4pm. Monday morning will be quieter and afternoon traffic will build up earlier from 3pm traffic, peaking at 5pm.

"With Christmas Day falling on a Tuesday this year, we anticipate that some drivers will stagger journeys over the weekend to avoid the mass exodus," said INRIX Traffic Analyst Cat Kobylinski.

INRIX advises that drivers still allow double time for their journeys on the Friday particularly on motorways and major arterial routes.

With airlines like British Airways confirming that their busiest day will also be Friday 21st December, INRIX recommends motorists allow for at least an extra hour to your journey to the airport to ensure delays on the roads won't lead to missing your flight.

To download INRIX's free real time and predictive traffic app visit http://www.inrixtraffic.com/




Region




Route



Distance
(miles)


Average
Speed
(mph)


Average
Journey
Travel Time

Expected
Delay
Time to add
to a Journey

Factor
Increase
to a
Journey

BIRMINGHAM:
- A38 heading south out of Birmingham towards Longbridge

8.5 miles

18 mph

20 minutes

47 minutes

3.35

- M6 northbound between J9 Wednesbury and J12 Cannock

9.7 miles

12 mph

9 minutes

44 minutes

5.89

MIDLANDS






STAFFORDSHIRE:
- M6 northbound between J14 Stafford to J17 Sandbach

26.2 miles

28 mph

23 minutes

35 minutes

2.52








LONDON:
- A4 westbound from Earls Court to Brentford (towards Heathrow Airport)

5 miles

14 mph

9 minutes

17 minutes

2.89

- M25 clockwise between J11 Chertsey and Heathrow Airport

9.1 miles

24 mph

9 minutes

26 minutes

3.89

- M25 anticlockwise between J16 Uxbridge and J11 Chertsey

13.6 miles

22 mph

14 minutes

31 minutes

3.21

- A13 eastbound from Canning Town to Barking

4.1 miles

13 mph

9 minutes

19 minutes

3.11

- A12 eastbound from Leytonstone to Harold Hill

10.5 miles

19 mph

20 minutes

20 minutes

2.0

SOUTH EAST






OXFORD:
- A34 northbound between Abingdon and Bicester

21.3 miles

21 mph

29 minutes

26 minutes

1.89








BERKSHIRE:
- M4 westbound between Reading and Hungerford

27.1 miles

38 mph

38 minutes

32 minutes

1.84








BRISTOL:
- A38 southbound from the city centre to Bristol Airport

9.5 miles

20 mph

25 minutes

39 minutes

2.56

- M5 southbound from J16 Almondsbury Interchange to J21 Weston Super Mare

25.2 miles

30 mph

31 minutes

41 minutes

2.32

SOUTH WEST






WILTSHIRE:
- A36 westbound between Warminster and Salisbury

21.4 miles

27 mph

37 minutes

18 minutes

1.49







NORTH WEST

CHESHIRE:
M6 southbound from J22 Warrington to Keele Services

36.6 miles

28 mph

35 minutes

53 minutes

2.51







YORKSHIRE

SOUTH YORKSHIRE:
- M1 southbound between J35 Chapeltown and Woodall Services

9.2 miles

28 mph

11 minutes

17 minutes

2.54








GLASGOW:
- M8 eastbound between J25 Cardonald to J14 Fruitmarket

6.4 miles

24 mph

7 minutes

8 minutes

2.14

SCOTLAND






ABERDEENSHIRE:
- A90 northbound between Bridge of Dee and Woodside

4.1 miles

20 mph

11 minutes

17 minutes

2.54

About INRIX

INRIX® is a leading traffic intelligence platform delivering smart data and advanced analytics to solve transportation issues worldwide. INRIX crowd sources real-time data from approximately 100 million vehicles and devices to deliver traffic and driving-related insight, as well as sophisticated analytical tools and services, across five industries in 35 countries.

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